Scarlet Scars
by TheEpiclyBoredWriter
Summary: A short mess dedicated to the idea of "what if Laura hadn't died". The story everyone wanted but was too afraid to ask for. It's technically canon anyway. I'm also running off the idea no one reads the titles on these things and just looks for characters, rating, and genre, so let's hope I'm right.


The "accident" had been years ago, but time only causes wounds to fester. They fill with puss and rot until they've swollen up to the point of bursting, spewing hatred and rage across scarred flesh. From there, it seeks only to corrode all it touches like an acid, furthering the decay and misery of the world.

He sat at his piano, delicately brushing his fingers over the keys as he played softly to himself. Able to retain some finesse, the young man was not about to waste it by hiding himself away forever doing nothing. While he sought no company amongst his peers, he could at least keep his hands busy with his own company. He was grateful for what he had retained, but he would confess to none of it. Piano had kept his hands in working order, allowing him to maintain the control needed to continue with his experiments. Of course, it was all done in utmost secrecy. If anyone were to find out, anyone... undesirable, there would be repercussions, as he saw it.

Closing his eyes, he hummed softly along with his work, drifting back and forth with his hands. The bandages were long since gone, but the freedom of movement, to sway to a melody, had only just returned. He lost himself briefly as the notes danced through his head, caressing away the darkness that normally resided there. When he once more opened his eyes, he saw that he was being watched, from over the piano. He sneered at the intruder, stopping what he was doing abruptly.

"Why did you stop, Ruben?"

"Ruvik." He corrected, standing up from his bench. He wished for solitude in that moment, and this intrusion would not allow it.

"Where are you headed?" The young woman asked, keeping her voice carefully level to avoid upsetting him further.

He turned to face her, wishing, in that moment, to have the means to hide his face. They had suffered similar injury together, yet on her, he could not see it, on himself, however, it was all he saw. Turning his head away, he spoke. "Haven't you somewhere to be? Lessons? Work? Anything?"

"No, and I'm quite certain you haven't either. So sit, hmm? Play a little more, for me." Her request was simple, but she knew he seemed keen on rejecting it. His mood had been worsening daily it seemed, but she was compelled to try to bring him back. "Would you rather I play instead? You used to love that when we were younger."

"Enough, Laura." He commanded, "I've asked you before to let me alone while I'm working." She was older than he was, by seven years, in fact, but age had caused him to grow taller, broader. He stood above her now, looking to scare her off with his presence.

Gently, Laura placed her hand on his chest, easing him back. "There's no need to get so angry." Her voice as soft and melodic as the music he had just been playing, and gradually, it would soothe him just the same. He tensed initially before grabbing her hand, though she remained resolute.

"I'm not a boy anymore. You can't just decide when you want me to be quiet."

"I'm not sure you ever were a boy, Ruben." She said, sliding her hand up to rest on his shoulder. Perhaps he would respond better to that. "At least, not so long as I can recall." She heard him begin to correct her once more, and she placed her finger over his lips to hush him before he could finish. "I know, I know, but can't you stay Ruben for me? You can be whoever else you'd like for everyone else, even yourself, but for me, please?"

Content only to glare at her, Ruben stood still has his body would allow, only swayed by breath and pulse. Without a word, he allowed Laura to run her hands across him, attempting to pacify him with affection. She rubbed his chest, shoulders, and neck, taking to humming to distract him. When she reached his head, she pulled him closer, keeping her eyes closed as she pressed his forehead to hers. "Your hair's starting to grow back, I'm sure of it." She said, rubbing the back of his head.

The closeness had once meant so much to him. Before everything had fallen apart, he would take every bit of affection his sister might offer to him. Every touch, every hug, kiss, or kind word, it didn't matter to him, he needed it all. The years' difference between them had meant nothing, but the scars now did. With them brought the fires of rage that burned endlessly inside of him, looking for some release. He took pains to channel these emotions into work, something productive and meaningful to him and him alone. His feelings for her, his beloved sister, were becoming a mystery to him. At first, he saw the scars on both of them, turning their skin red and cracked before it bubbled and flaked away. As the years passed, he saw them less and less. She told him they were still there; let his hands touch where she said they were. He could feel them, but his eyes saw nothing. His mind could not process damage to his beloved, and this worried her.

Laura was gasping now, hands clasped about his wrist. Weakly, she repeated his name over and over, trying to pull him back to reality. "Ruben...Ruben..." She begged over and over, until finally, he let go of her neck. Quickly taking in air, she kept her hands on both of his now, if only to monitor what he was doing with them.

Ruben blinked deliberately, trying to clear his thoughts. He had no recollection of what had possessed him to do that, and prior to her cries, no concept he was touching her at all. Stepping back until she was forced to drop his hands, he looked her over once. His gaze changed very little in that time, so she could make no sense of his retreat. He fled, as he often did, to his room, searching for solitude in his private laboratory.

For the rest of the evening, she saw nothing of her brother, which she thought was for the best. Maybe he needed more space, though she dreaded the idea of what he did alone. He was known to vanish for long hours of the day, only to resurface covered in dirt and blood. Worse yet, it never seemed to be his blood, as the few times she tried to tend to him she found no fresh wounds on his skin. This revelation had prompted him to deny all her attempts at care, driving them further and further apart. After the incident earlier, she did not know what to make of her younger brother. Nevertheless, part of her wished to remain certain he hadn't meant what he'd done. They loved one another too much for that.

He did love her, he always had. Sitting down before her mirror, Laura began to brush out her hair for the night, staring at her own reflection. All of the scars, all of the melted flesh that had formed new shapes where there had been none before were clear to her. Ruben insisted time and time again he saw no flaws in her appearance, promising her that she was as beautiful as she ever had been in the past.

It was around the time of his fifteenth birthday that they indulged their curiosity. No longer satisfied with the scars on her face, they stole off to her room so they could see more of one another. Whether or not it was morally right for her to strip down for him never came into question, and the ethics regarding his desire to touch her disfigurements never did either. She had been so willing to satisfy him, but he had shown reluctance. Standing nearly nude before him, she allowed his hands to roam over her body as he examined every strange new imperfection. When she asked the same of him, she could only coax open his shirt and nothing more. They embraced once their curiosity had been satisfied, finding the feeling of their flesh touching in their current state to be strange. Ruben had kept his head on her shoulder, hesitant to leave off to his own room. They never spoke directly of the incident again, but on two more occasions, they repeated this behavior. On the third night, they had fallen asleep in each other's arms, tucked away under a large comforter to hide them from the outside world. All of that had been so many years ago now...

Pulling herself from her memories, Laura tried to focus on what she was doing. Her own reflection stared pitifully back at her as she made a vain attempt to hide her face with what hair remained. Her face had been mangled on the left side, ruining her eyesight completely. Ruben had been luckier, she thought; his face retained its shape and age had only made him more handsome.

A soft click behind her drew her attention to the door. Watching it from the mirror, she saw as her brother stepped inside. He had redressed, now adorned with a light blue bathrobe with the hood pulled up over his head. Closing the door behind himself, Ruben only stood, peering at her from underneath his robe. They watched one another in silence for a while until Laura saw it fit to speak.

"You can come in."

"I'm already in."

"Then don't act like you aren't welcome. You are."

He took a few steps further into the room, feet softly padding against the floor as he shuffled along. "Is it cold in here?"

"A bit. Where are your slippers?"

"I don't have any." He stopped his walk in the center of her room now.

"Yes you do. I'm certain I bought you some."

"I don't have any." He repeated, watching her closely.

Laura stood now, cautiously approaching him. "So then...are you cold?" She saw no harm in offering him warmth, especially if he wanted it from her enough to lie. He seemed to want something he stubbornly refused to say. Peering up at him, she tried to brush back his hood, only to have her wrist grabbed once it landed on his cheek. They stood this way for a while, frozen in time together. His grip was firm, but at least he was mindful about how hard he held her this time.

Lowering her arm, he slowly paced around her until his back was to the mirror. Placing his hands at her sides, he pulled her back against him. He whispered an apology to her before resting his head on her shoulder. He slipped one arm around her waist, keeping her from leaving his grasp before he began to unzip her dress. He was slow and deliberate only moving as much was necessary to push the fabric from her shoulders. She offered no resistance until he began to kiss her now bare neck and shoulders.

"What are you doing?"

No response, no hesitation.

"Ruben."

Once more, nothing. He kept her firmly pressed to his body, lost now in what he was doing as he trailed kisses across the back of her neck.

Shivering at the sensation, she tried to squirm free. "Ruben. Ruben stop it!"

He stopped kissing her for a moment, but he did not dare loosen his hold. "You're mine."

"What?"

"I said you are mine." Growing angry now, he covered her eyes with his hand, pulling her head back to expose her throat. "I've heard them talking."

"Who? Ruben who's been talking?" She reached up, awkwardly groping around for him. Laura needed to do something to quell his mood or risk him going further with whatever it was he intended.

"Everyone! They want to take you away from me, Laura... I'm not going to let them."

"No one is taking me away." She reassured, "You and I are going to stay right here, right where we are. Come, let's lie down together like we used to." A wave of relief washed over her once he released her head. Intent on turning around to face him once more, he stopped her, uttering a quick "no". She could only watch helplessly as a dark cloth was pressed over her eyes, tied at the back.

His grip loosened, and now he seemed pleased with his work. "Don't fight." Kneeling down, he slid her dress off until it reached the floor. Helping her step free of it, he brought her close once more. "I don't want to hurt my beloved."

With one hand on her lower back, he intertwined his fingers with hers before lifting her arm. Swaying with her, Ruben began to play out some elaborate fantasy he had as he waltzed about the room with her, humming to himself. Laura stumbled at first; unable to see which way he would take her. She was forced to stand on his feet to avoid falling, though he allowed this without complaint. This was harmless enough, and if all he wanted was to pretend, there was certainly no harm.

At the conclusion of their dance, she felt the back of her legs pressing up against her bed. From there, he lowered her down onto it until she lay flat against the silk bedding. Even without sight, she could feel him hovering above her, deciding what to do next. His hands found her legs, and she yelped at the sudden sensation of him. He removed her undergarments with ease, treating her like a ragdoll until she was propped up against her pillows.

"There. Perfect." He purred, sitting at her side now.

Her head spun with ideas and thoughts. His intentions were very clear now as he kissed her without restraint, letting one hand caress her vulnerable body. It was doubtful now he would listen, but she had to try.

"Ruben...Ruben, you're my dearest brother and I- I do love you but are you sure that this is what you want?" She asked, clutching at his robe the moment she got chance to speak. Her reward was being pushed back down, only to have him crawl atop her.

"Yes." His only initial answer as he held her face in his hand. "You should trust me, Laura."

She paused, feeling him resting his hips against hers now. He was bare under his robe it seemed. The only response she could offer was a weak "I do. But-"

"Hm?"

"Don't hurt me."

A low laugh escaped his throat as he held her hands just above her head. "So you don't trust me?"

The woman kept quiet, breath catching in her throat as she felt Ruben easing his way inside of her. He pressed her wrists to the headboard directly above her head with one hand, guiding himself with his other. The sensation pleased him enough to free her wrists, tension gradually leaving his body. He sighed heavily, admiring her perfect body. "You're warm." He commented, slowly rocking his hips back and forth, as he edged himself deeper inside.

Pulling her arms free, she wrapped them around his neck. "I wish we had talked about this first..." Guilt gnawed at her for what she was doing, and shame clouded her mind. She had always thought him handsome, always allowed his touch. They had kissed before, had this outcome been what she wanted?

"So you could say no?" He grunted, allowing her free range to touch him now. "So you could pretend you weren't interested in me. Pretend I was some fool who imagined your advances before?"

"No I just-" She gasped, cut off by his sudden change of pace. His annoyance transferred into action, and he no longer seemed to take interest in being gentle. The pain was mild, but it was present. She knew she should consider herself lucky he had ever been kind at all, as he thrust into her, determined to get his fill. She lay limply beneath him, panting in unison with her younger brother.

At some point, the guilt had washed away, replaced by a disgusting feeling of twisted pleasure. Maybe it was his voice, or his actions, but something pulled her towards enjoyment. Shamefully, she moaned his name, finding herself kissing him as he had done to her. This wasn't right, none of this was right, but for a moment, she did not care. He did not care. Remorse would come later, but they would first.

"Can I take the blindfold off now?" She asked once Ruben rolled off her, trying to catch his breath. He wiped his seed from her stomach with the bottom of his robe, but she was certain he had only smeared it.

"Once I leave."

"You can't leave." Laura said quickly, reaching towards him. "Once you leave, we'll start regretting this."

"And?" He asked, standing up from her bed now.

"Don't we regret enough already?"

Silence followed, but the bed depressed next to her once more. Ruben said nothing, pulling her close to him. There was plenty to regret, but ideally, not this.


End file.
